Modern Turkey is not the Ottoman Empire. But it still carries an imperial reflex in the way it behaves. It wants the prestige, protection, and leverage of NATO, but not the discipline, seriousness, or consistency that should come with being part of that alliance.
That is the double game.
Turkey enjoys the shelter of a Western military bloc, then turns around and behaves like a regional scold whenever it suits domestic politics or grandstanding. It wants to sound anti-Western, anti-Israel, and morally elevated, while still keeping the strategic benefits of Western alignment close at hand.
That is not courage. It is opportunism.
A serious ally does not spend its time acting like a resentful tenant inside the same house that protects it. Yet that is often how Turkey comes across: inside the structure, benefiting from the structure, while constantly trying to posture above it. It wants the umbrella and the rebellion at the same time.
That is why the behavior feels so cynical. The message is always the same: give us the alliance benefits, but do not expect alliance loyalty in return.